


Don't be scared, I'm right here

by Sukie_Kagamine



Series: Just an ordinary romance [4]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Accidents, Children, Fire, Homophobia, Journalism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sukie_Kagamine/pseuds/Sukie_Kagamine
Summary: "Don't be scared, I'm right here."Gwil sighed as his heart melted at the sight. Ben was kneeling down on the road, holding the child into his arms as the boy's little form shook with sobs. Around them, everything was chaotic with smokes and noises and vehicles, and among all of that, Ben was like the only lifeline the little boy had. And the man made sure he gave him the safest embrace from the terror that had just happened.
Relationships: Ben Hardy/Gwilym Lee
Series: Just an ordinary romance [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779214
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Don't be scared, I'm right here

"Don't be scared, I'm right here." 

Gwil sighed as his heart melted at the sight. Ben was kneeling down on the road, holding the child into his arms as the boy's little form shook with sobs. Around them, everything was chaotic with smokes and noises and vehicles, and among all of that, Ben was like the only lifeline the little boy had. And the man made sure he gave him the safest embrace from the terror that had just happened.

"Ben! Hey!" Gwil said as he ran towards them, and Ben looked up from the boy. His sweaty face brightened up as Gwil got close to them and hugged both of them tightly. The boy had no idea what was going on, but he didn't seem to mind having another barrier with the world.

"God, are you alright?" Gwil let go of them, starting to look for injuries on Ben's body. He was terrified when the news came when he was on set, that the hotel Ben was staying in during filming was on fire and his boyfriend wasn't in the number of people that got out in time. Seeing him like this now almost made Gwil wanted to burst into tears like the boy.

"I'm fine, I'm okay, don't worry," Ben laughed as tears trickled from his eyes. Gwil immediately pulled him into a kiss, devouring his lips, pouring all of his relief and tearful happiness into the action. It was like a mountain had been lifted off his chest.

"They said you couldn't get out of the fire in time." Gwil kissed his jaw, feeling his hands trembling from the aftermath of the panic attack he had in the car. "I was so scared."

"I…" Ben smiled at him tearily. "Someone needed help. I couldn't just--jump out when a woman with her baby was screaming for help."

"God, you insufferable angel." Gwil kissed him again, squeezing him in his arms. When he finally let go of Ben, when his frightened mind finally came to the conclusion that the love of his life was alive and uninjured, he looked at the little boy.

Apparently Ben was doing a good job calming him down. He was always good with children. Even when he himself was stuck in that fire, smokes filled the air, making his face and hair and clothes dirty and the heat made him sweaty, he was still brave enough to help people, and become the moral support for this child. The way that he secured his muscular arms around the boy, keeping him safe, the way that he gently rubbed the boy's back to give him warmth, and the way that he murmured low reassurance slowly brought the boy back to his senses. The poor kid must have been stuck in that burning building as well. 

"Alright, now let's go get your parents." Ben finally picked him up and Gwil stepped closer, put an arm around his waist.

"I'll help you find his Mum and Dad."

"Thank you, love." The blond man turned aside to kiss him, giving him a soft smile. Right at that moment, Gwil realized how impossibly lucky he was. He always knew he was lucky when he found Ben, but this was something he never expected before. He never expected his love to be such a… Such a hero. His clothes were messy and burned and reeked with smokes, his hair and face was covered with layers of dust and sweat was all over his body, but his eyes sparkled with gallantry, warmth and safety that made Gwil's grip on him tighter. A moment ago, he thought he could lose this man forever. Now, nothing in the world could stop him from keeping Ben safe. Death could be standing right there and Gwil would punch him in the face if it was to keep Ben with him. Sometimes when he caught Ben's eyes on him, he had to turn in to place a kiss on his cheek. Just to hear that small breathless laugh. He never noticed how much he missed it.

"Hello, I found this boy on the pavement." Ben asked when they approached a fireman. "I think he must have been in the fire, he's really unstable. Have you seen his parents, uh… What are your parents' name, Eddie?"

"Maria and Nick Marshall." The boy, Eddie, sniffled.

"Maria and Nick Marshall." Ben repeated it to the fireman, and he nodded. 

"Yes, they're here, they've been looking for their son. I'll call them right away." He quickly rushed away. 

Gwil narrowed his eyes at the boy. He didn't really look at him before, but the names of his parents rang something in him. They were so familiar, and not a good kind of familiar. He vaguely remembered the name Marshall accompanying something bad. The unease feeling of this made him sigh.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked, eyeing him curiously. He was still holding the boy in his arms, but turning the boy away so they could talk. "We found his parents. It's good. Why are you frowning?"

"What? I'm not fr--"

Ben rolled his eyes.

"Well, fine." Gwil lowered his voice. "It's just--Don't you think Marshall sounds familiar? I'm sure I've heard it before, and it's not very friendly."

Ben furrowed his eyebrows. He quickly glanced at the boy to make sure he couldn't hear them. "I don't remember this name. It can't be someone from Hollywood, right?"

"No, not that." Gwil shook his head. He started to pull out his memories to check on them. The last hour had frozen his brain to a degree that he couldn't think of anything but the word BEN, and now he needed some time to recover.

Suddenly, from afar, a couple rushed over to them and Eddie yelled in excitement. "Mum! Dad!"

Ben had to let the boy go as he squirmed in his arms, and as soon as Eddie touched the ground, he bolted towards the couple. Gwil looked at them, and realization dawned on him. Oh God. It was someone he knew, but Ben didn't. Because Ben had no idea who had been putting target on his back for half a year. He always avoided the media, and Gwil was the only one reading them to make sure what he had to protect Ben of.

"Oh my God, I don't even know how to thank you--" Eddie's father ran to them as the mother was still cooing over her son. "We've been looking for him everywhere! We'll sue this hotel for sure! This is unacceptable!"

"Uh… You're welcome." Ben bit his lip uncomfortably at the sudden outburst of the man.

"Okay, I think we should go now. You need a rest." Gwil pulled Ben's arm, but Eddie's father kept them.

"Wait! Please, we need to know your name. We have to do something for you, without you, we'll lose Eddie."

"It's okay, we understand. You don't have to do that." Gwil shook his head, trying to pull Ben away, but Marshall didn't stop. Ben looked at him in confusion.

"It'll never compare with saving a life, but we have to do something. Do you want a cruise? Or a yacht? Whatever you want!"

"You know what, I think just a little peace of mind would be enough." Gwil finally snapped, and both of them stared at him in shock.

"Gwil, what is that?" Ben whispered.

"Mr. Marshall, my name is Gwilym Lee, and this is Ben Jones. You would know him as Ben Hardy, the actor that you've been dragging through the mud for the last six months." Gwil growled, and the man's face morphed into horror.

"What do you mean, Gwil? I don't know him." Ben blinked, and Gwil held his hand.

"Remember the journalist saying our relationship is just a scandal and a PR trick for Bohemian Rhapsody? The one who never stopped criticizing everything we do and swore not to rest until we finally break up and 'show our true colors'?"

Ben's expression dropped. He looked at the man with wide eyes. 

"It was you?"

"I…" Marshall swallowed.

"Tell your wife to get Eddie home. He's been through enough." Ben said, and Maria quickly brought her son back, leaving them in front of the hotel.

"You said in your article that I'm just too untalented and Roger must have been desperate to pick me to play him. You said I don't deserve it." Ben said softly. "And you said Gwil and I are cowardice liars and us coming out is a dirty trick."

Marshall went quiet. He took a step back in shame.

"I never let myself read all of those comments on the Internet, but that day--you sent us that article in a fan mail envelope." Ben looked at Gwil, and he squeezed his hand tighter. "Gwil stopped me from finish reading it."

"I--I'm sorry--"

"Why did you do it?" Ben cut him off. "Did I do something to you that made you hate me so much? I want to know."

"It's--" Marshall stuttered. Gwil's death glare was scaring him, obviously. "Please don't ask me about this."

"I always care about what people think of me. I want to make them happy. I want everyone to love me, to be honest. It's like an obsession. Sometimes I lose myself over it." Ben chuckled bitterly. "That's why I choose to stay away from critics and the Internet, because there will always be something bad. But you… You were so dedicated to targeting me you sent us that article. Why do you hate Gwil and me so much?"

"...Because...Because…"

"Because he hates seeing gay people doing great things, that's all." Gwil cut in. "He started to hate us ever since the paparazzi outed us. And after the film, when you said about adopting a kid in the future, he got furious."

Ben looked at Marshall questioningly, and the man just exclaimed.

"Kids can be affected by your actions! They need a father and a mother!"

Ben sighed, shaking his head. He turned aside to place a small kiss on Gwil's lips. "Send my apology to Eddie, then."

"Wait--"

Ben just turned around and Gwil quickly went after him, their hands still connected. They walked towards the traffic and grabbed a taxi. The whole time they sat there, Ben stayed silent. He didn't take his hand out of Gwil's the whole way, but his eyes were distant. He was staring, but not really seeing. Gwil knew he was reciting all of the awful, cruel words that the stupid article imprinted in his head. Ben forgot a lot of things, but never the things that hurt him. It was a curse, really. It had taken so long and so much of Gwil's effort to finally take Ben's mind off of the hateful words ge accidentally read.

"I should have taken that mail from you sooner." Gwil sighed, kissing his knuckles gently. Ben might not be scared of a burning building, but he was the most vulnerable with words. Internet comments had haunted him for a while before he decided to stop reading them. However, sometimes the negative things still struck his curiosity, and that was when Gwil stepped in to keep him sane. Only that time, it was too late.

"It's not your fault." Ben mumbled, caressing his cheek. His green eyes sparkled in the dark of the car with unshed tears. "It's his. It's mine. I don't know, not yours."

"It's not yours either. You didn't do anything wrong. He was the monster." Gwil clenched his jaw. "All because he's homophobic."

"Even after I found his son for him." Ben shook his head, smiling sadly. 

"Cruel people can never change, Ben. We can only change the way we face them." Gwil nudged his nose against Ben's neck. 

"I'm not strong enough to face him, or anyone, really. I'd be mad before finishing reading their 'honest opinions'." Ben leaned his head on Gwil's chest, holding him close. The taxi driver saw them through the mirror, but didn't say anything.

"It's alright, I'm here." Gwil kissed his hair. "I'll keep you sane. I promise."

"You can't protect me against those directors who don't want to hire me because I'm gay, not because I'm untalented."

"Hey, we're in this together, love. Those directors can go to hell. You deserve to work with better people."

Ben nodded, and they shared a long kiss. It was chaste, but Gwil tried to show as much of his love, strength and sympathy as possible. He had received the same amount of hate from the Internet, but he didn't care. Unlike the sweet, pure angel that was Ben, he could spit in the face of those haters and still sleep well at night. He knew where his priorities lied. As long as his parents, siblings, his close friends and Ben still loved him as himself, then he knew he didn't have to change anything. He just needed some time to build Ben the same kind of armor.

"Thank you for always be there for me." Ben spoke into the kiss, and Gwil smiled.

"You know what, maybe… We should consider adopting a kid. You were exceptionally good with Eddie over there. A kid will definitely take your mind off of the media too."

"...You want to raise a kid with me?" Ben's face lightened up with a smile, and Gwil chuckled.

"Of course. You'll be a great father, I know that."

Finally, they got to Gwil's hotel. All of Ben's luggage had been destroyed by the fire, so he just took a shower, lazily put on one of Gwil's pajama shirt with his boxers and climbed on the bed. The fatigue was swallowing him all. The taller man quickly lay down next to him, spooning him.

"We'll be great fathers." Ben whispered before he fell asleep.


End file.
